Vibrational relaxation of NO in collisions with atomic oxygen and chlorine

Abstract

The vibrational relaxation of NO(X ²Π) in the v=0, 1, and 2 states in collisions with Ar, NO, NO₂, and electronic ground state O and Cl atoms has been studied in shoch waves. O and Cl atoms were produced in the thermal dissociation of NO₂ or N₂O at t?2700 K, and of ClNO at T?1700 K, respectively. BOth atoms were found to be very efficient catalysts for vibrational energy transfer to NO. The relaxation rates observed suggest a mechanism involving bound (NO₂) * and (CINO) * collision complexes.